The Pain of War
by Rain Check
Summary: Megumi loses her family and has to get over the loss. Oohhh! Will Sano help her? A/U


War's Pain, Life's misery Disclaimer: I don't own Megumi or any of the other people from Kenshin-gumi but I do own Demeatrey, Zara, and Aurora. I am proud of myself. I know one that you may feel my Disclaimer is boring but you may be wrong (just maybe, okay so your right but Oh well! {._.} Sigh! ^_~) AUTHOR NOTE: IF YOU LIKE THIS FIC READ MY PROFILE. I WOULD REALLY LIKE IT IF YOU GAVE ME YOUR EMAIL WHEN YOU REVIEW! FLAMES WILL BE USED TO LIGHT SIATOU'S CIGARRETES SO IF YOU FLAME MAKE IT VERY MILD OR TOKIO WILL KICK SAITOU OUT OF THE HOUSE!  
  
Megumi opened her window. The calm cool breeze swept across her face. It had been a long time since it had been this quiet. No more war, no more pain. She hated the war that had gone on for ten years. It had finally ended just a month before. It had taken her family away from her.  
  
Her father had taken her outside and pushed her in her favorite swing in the garden. Then he sat her down on his knee and told her he was leaving for awhile and that she should take care of her mother and her baby sister. He had kissed her on the forehead and walked out the garden gate never to return. She remembered watching her mother die of scarlet fever. The doctor had told her that her mother would make it but then her five year old sister Zara fell ill with small pox and her mother's health began to decline. A week after Zara fell ill she died. Her mother refused to eat and the disease took her life. She was only nine at the time. Her mother had left her to face ten years of war by herself.  
  
Those ten years were terrible for her. They were just reminders of pain and death. She was an unusual girl starting her period at age ten. When she had saw her breasts get bigger and noticed she was bleeding she was frightened. She was still living in her lonely home full of reminders of her family. She still had her kitten Aurora and her dog Demeatrey. She had to steal from people in the town nearby. One night she had got back to the house to find that it was engulfed in flames she tried to get in but every entrance was blocked by burning red flames. When the fire died down the whole house was destroyed and both Aurora and Demeatrey were dead.  
  
She had grabbed a blanket from the small shed near the pond and wrapped all the food she had, some clothes, and a small box containing some medicine and a locket her father and mother had given to her on her 6th birthday. It was a silver rose hung upon a chain made of small gold roses. The big rose contained a picture of both her mother and father holding her baby sister. She had left to find happiness but she knew deep down inside that she could never be happy.  
  
One day she stole from a man selling bread. She had thought she would escape but then she realized she was too slow and the man caught up with her. He beat her until she was almost too weak to stand and then he tied her weak body to a horses hind legs and whipped the horse. The horse had galloped half a mile before it slowed to a trot Megumi being awake the whole time. She tried to untie herself for two hours before getting too exhausted to move. She had laid her head down on the hard cold ground and fell asleep.  
  
She had awoke to the sound of soft footsteps on the ground. She turned to see a young woman who looked about eighteen. The woman's long black hair blew slightly in the wind, her eyes a dark chocolate brown. She remembered every movement the woman made, and every word she had said. The woman had asked her for her name and she told her. "Glad to meet you! I'm Tomoe!" The woman had said cutting the ropes that tied Megumi to the horse with a small knife. Tomoe had picked Megumi up and carried her to a small house. Tomoe took Megumi to the kitchen and sat her down on a chair. She had asked Megumi if she wanted something to eat. Megumi nodded her head and watched Tomoe get some things out of the cupboards. Tomoe had asked Megumi if she wanted to help and Megumi got out of her chair to show that she did. At first she had been too shy to speak to Tomoe but some how Tomoe managed to begin an interesting conversation with Megumi. Megumi told Tomoe about her period and her breasts and of course Tomoe had explained what Megumi should do and what was happening to her. Tomoe told Megumi all about her childhood and some of the silly things she had done. They both laughed and laughed.  
  
Megumi had been frightened when a red headed man with gold eyes walked in. He was wearing a blue haori and hakama his red hair in a high ponytail. "Oh Kenshin! Your home!" Tomoe had said hugging the man and kissing him softly on the lips. The man called Kenshin asked who Megumi was one finger pointed at her. Tomoe explained who Megumi was and why she was there. Kenshin had nodded his head and walked up to Megumi.  
  
"So you have no family." Kenshin had said. Megumi nodded.  
  
"Well I think we can fix that."  
  
"You can mister!?" Megumi was surprised.  
  
"Yes, we will be your family and don't call me mister just call me Ken." Kenshin had smiled down at the Megumi in a way no one had before. He was the first man who had ever been kind to her since her father left for war. "Oh! My wife Tomoe will teach you how to cook and make medicine since your hands are so quick and steady. Now lets have those delicious smelling cookies!" Megumi didn't believe it but she was happy. She hadn't had that feeling for a long time, she almost had forgot what being happy had felt like.  
  
Megumi remembered her complete stay with her Daddy Ken and her Mommy Tomoe. She had loved the cooking and medicine making lessons. She was very good at both things and she often saved her new family money by making medicine when one of them got sick. She saved her Mommy Tomoe a lot of time when she cooked dinner while Tomoe cleaned the house.  
  
One day Megumi came home to find Mommy Tomoe lying on the floor in a pool of blood, Daddy Ken by her side. She thought he was crying. For the very first time in two years Megumi was frightened. She ran to Mommy Tomoe's side and washed her wounds and tried to heal her but she had arrived to late and Tomoe died an hour later her head in Daddy Ken's lap. "I didn't mean to fail you. I tried my best and I'm very sorry. Please don't be mad! Daddy Ken! It wasn't my fault and it wasn't yours!" Megumi had said watching her Daddy Ken pick up his sword.  
  
"You don't understand it was my fault my pretty little Megumi it was all my fault." Daddy Ken had said before he turned and walked out the door leaving a little Megumi all alone crying for her new family's death.  
  
She buried her Mommy Tomoe and packed once again to leave. Things weren't different and they never could be, not ever.  
  
Megumi remembered each place she traveled to. She also remembered stealing from anyone she could, and all the beatings she got when she was caught. She spent four years doing those things until a medical university excepted her. It was called Heart of Sword Medical University.  
  
She went to the University for five years before coming to this town in Japan called Kyoto to find a job. She hadn't had any luck so far so she was staying in this hotel called the Swordsman's Spirit. It was a spacious place and people claimed it was a five star hotel sot that's why she was staying there.  
  
She felt like she should go to sleep so she got into her night clothes and got in bed. There was a storm going on outside and the heavy rain was flooding the yard outside. She had never really enjoyed it when there was lightning and thunder instead of just rain. The rain reminded her of tears, the tears that had so many times escaped her eyes and ran down her face. She could never forget the feeling of being alone, being hated, crying herself to sleep every night. Each time she thought about those things she would try her hardest not to cry but tears would still stain her cheeks. Megumi put a hand to her face and felt a small tear drop onto her hand. She buried her face in her pillow and once again cried herself to sleep.  
  
Megumi awoke feeling hot, sweat forming on her face. She didn't understand why it was so hot. Normally it was cool after it rained but then again it was Summer. Suddenly Megumi realized the room was filled with smoke. She crawled out of bed and dropped to the floor. She started to crawl towards the door. Her lungs burned with exhaustion. The smoke around her was thick and very deathly. She was almost to the door when a beam of the building fell and crushed her legs. She could barely move but she had to get out. She pulled herself with her hands the board scraping down her legs. Blood seeped out of the wounds on her legs. A flame sparked and caught the skirt of her nightgown on fire. She beat at the flame with her hand only to have her hand catch on fire. She screamed in agony desperately trying to beat the fire out. The fire from the skirt of her nightgown had now spread to her back. She was fighting the darkness she couldn't give in for if she did that would mean she had failed herself just like she had everyone else.  
  
THE SADNESS THAT OFTEN BUILDS INSIDE US CAN ONLY ESCAPE THROUGH OUR TEARS.  
  
Rain Dance 


End file.
